Croatian rock singer Marko “Thompson” Perković has made global headlines with a concert that was as monumental as it was controversial. Held at Zagreb’s Hippodrome on 5 July 2025, the event drew a staggering 504,000 fans, making it the largest ticketed solo concert in history. The scale of the turnout smashed the previous record of 225,173 held by Italian rocker Vasco Rossi.
A Crowd Like No Other
Thompson’s fanbase showed up in force. An estimated 150,000 tickets were sold in just six hours, with supporters arriving from more than 45 countries. Many were dressed in red-and-white Croatian colours, waving flags and chanting national slogans, turning the Hippodrome into a powerful visual statement of cultural identity.
More Than Just a Rock Show
The three-hour concert included 30 songs, some drawn from Hodočasnik – Thompson’s first album in a decade. The stage production added layers of symbolism to the performance, including a coordinated drone display where 1,000 drones lit up the sky to form religious symbols, the Croatian coat of arms, and the word “Oluja”, a reference to the controversial 1995 Operation Storm.
A Military-Scale Operation
Behind the scenes, the logistics were equally massive. According to a summary of the event’s scale, approximately 6,500 police and 5,000 private security personnel were stationed across the venue. A temporary 200-bed hospital was set up nearby. Despite the crowd size, only 133 people required medical attention, most with minor issues.
A Divisive Figure
While the concert drew praise for its scale and energy, it also reignited controversy. Thompson has long faced criticism for lyrics and imagery that critics say glorify Croatia’s World War II-era fascist regime, the Ustaše. His shows have been banned in several European countries, and the inclusion of wartime references like “Oluja” has raised concerns about the political subtext of his work.
Thompson has repeatedly denied any association with extremism, stating that his music is a celebration of Croatian heritage and resilience. Still, the debate remains a fixture of public discourse in Croatia, especially when such massive events amplify his reach.
